Bureau of Wealth

401(k) Match Calculator

By the Bureau of Wealth team Updated

This calculator is general information, not financial advice. Check your own figures with the provider or a qualified adviser before acting on them.

Enter your salary, what you contribute and your employer's match formula to see the match you get each year, any match you are missing, and the contribution rate that captures all of it.

Using 2026 rates rates checked 14 September 2026

A “50% match up to 6%” means 50 here and 6 below.

Check the highlighted fields to see your results.

What this calculator assumes

  • The match follows a single formula: your employer matches a percentage of what you put in, up to a percentage of your pay. Tiered formulas, such as one rate on the first few percent and a lower rate on the next, are not modeled.
  • Your contributions are capped at the 2026 elective deferral limit of $24,500, plus $8,000 if you are 50 or older or $11,250 if you are 60 to 63. It assumes your plan allows catch-up contributions and matches them the same way as other deferrals, so check how your plan treats them.
  • Everything is worked out on a yearly total. If your plan calculates the match each paycheck and you reach the limit early in the year, your actual match can be lower.
  • Pay means the salary you enter. Your plan document decides whether bonuses, overtime and commissions count.
  • Taxes, investment growth, vesting and any profit-sharing or other employer contributions are not included.
  • The warning about the $72,000 limit on yearly additions counts your deferrals, without catch-ups, plus the match.

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How the match is worked out

A match formula has two parts. The match rate is how much your employer adds for each dollar you contribute. The cap is the share of your pay that the match applies to. With a "50% match up to 6%", your employer adds 50 cents for every dollar you put in, on contributions up to 6% of your pay.

The calculator takes your contribution as a percentage of salary and limits it to the IRS deferral limit for your age group. It then applies the match rate to the part of your contribution that falls within the cap. Finally, it works out the match you would get by contributing the full capped percentage and shows the difference as match left unclaimed.

A worked example

You earn $80,000 and contribute 4%, and your employer matches 50% up to 6%. You put in $3,200 a year and your employer adds $1,600, so $4,800 goes into your account. The full match is $2,400, which means you are leaving $800 a year on the table.

Raising your contribution to 6% puts in $4,800 of your own money and brings the match to $2,400, for $7,200 in total. Going above 6% adds more of your own savings but no more match. With a dollar-for-dollar match up to 4% on the same salary, contributing 3% gets you $2,400 of match and misses $800.

The 2026 contribution limits

For 2026, the IRS limit on elective deferrals to a 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457 plan or the Thrift Savings Plan is $24,500. If you are 50 or older, you can generally add an $8,000 catch-up contribution, for $32,500 in total. For people aged 60, 61, 62 or 63, the higher catch-up limit is $11,250. The deferral limit generally covers all the plans you contribute to in the year, not each plan separately.

These limits can cut into the match for high earners. On a $300,000 salary with a 10% contribution, you would want to defer $30,000 but are capped at $24,500. With a 50% match up to 6%, your employer still adds $9,000, because 6% of your pay is $18,000 and you contribute more than that.

A second, overall limit applies to everything added to your account in a year by you and your employer. For 2026 it is the lesser of 100% of your pay or $72,000, not counting catch-up contributions. The calculator warns you if your deferrals and match together go over it.

Before you change your contribution

Your own contributions are always fully yours. Employer contributions may vest over time under a schedule set by your plan, so leaving a job early can mean giving up some of the match. Your summary plan description explains the formula, what counts as pay, how vesting works and whether the match is calculated each paycheck.

If you cannot afford to contribute enough for the full match right now, raising your rate by a point at a time still adds match each time. To see what your contributions could grow to by retirement, try the retirement savings calculator. The investment fees calculator shows how much the fund charges inside your plan could cost over time.

Frequently asked questions

What does "50% match up to 6%" mean?

Your employer adds 50 cents for every dollar you contribute, on contributions up to 6% of your pay. To get the full match you need to contribute at least 6%, and the most your employer adds is 3% of your pay.

Does the employer match count toward the $24,500 limit?

No. The $24,500 limit for 2026 applies only to your own elective deferrals. The match counts toward the separate limit on total yearly additions, which is $72,000 for 2026 or 100% of your pay if that is lower.

Who can make catch-up contributions?

If your plan allows them, you can make catch-up contributions if you are 50 or older by the end of the year, up to $8,000 in 2026, or $11,250 if you are 60 to 63. If your 2025 wages were above the $150,000 threshold the IRS set, your 2026 catch-up contributions must be designated as Roth contributions.

Is my employer match mine right away?

It depends on your plan's vesting schedule. Your own contributions are always 100% vested, but employer contributions can vest immediately or gradually over several years of service. Your plan documents or your benefits statement show where you stand.

Should I contribute more than the match?

The match is extra money on top of what you contribute, and contributing more than the cap does not earn more of it. Whether to save more in the 401(k) depends on your other goals, debts and the investment options and fees in your plan.

Sources

Figures come from institutions millions of people rely on. How we keep calculators accurate.